Needle Lace to Hog Gut

Jill Nordfors Clark uses her background in needle lace and her openness to absolutely unique materials to stretch the envelope of fiber art in general, and basketry in particular.  She uses natural casings, such as hog gut, to create the sturdy underpinnings of her airy pieces.  With many artists, the title is merely an identifier.  (How about when you see an impactful piece, and find that the title is Blue #23? While I understand the practicality, as the consumer of art, it leaves me at a dead end!) With Jill’s work, however, the titles only build on our connection, and the work is clearly representational—in the form of sculptural basketry!  Yes, you read correctly. 

Take, for example, the piece titled Third Snow – can’t you just see the layers of earth and snow, as your eyes move down the basket?  This piece was created of stitched casing, parachute cord and apple twigs.  And how about the piece titled, Shades of Grey?  This one includes hog casings, Pellon, and acrylic paint. Layers of grey papers are attached to the form, succinctly conveying the indelible TV images of papers flying out of a building, just like they did in NYC, after the bombings of 9/11.  Jill was moved to make this piece, which resembles the tall square shape of the crumbling World Trade Center.

When I asked her whether people are typically affected by her design or materials choices, she conceded that it is a toss-up: “People are fascinated with the idea of using gut as a thread, and the idea that it's white, opaque, and flexible, when wet, then caramel, translucent,  hard, and can stand on its own when dry. Some are squeamish when I show them the raw material, but when I tell them that they eat it every time they have a sausage or a hot dog, they feel a little better.  At the same time, people seem to like the organic, lace like qualities of my sculptural baskets. Often they represent natural forms, trees, plants and sea creatures.”

It is always intriguing to find out how artists have arrived at their signature work or style.  In Jill’s case, she began by doing needle lace and needle weaving, and even authored two books (Needle Lace: Techniques and Inspiration, Needle Lace and Needleweaving: A New Look at Traditional Stitches).  She then began to stitch on watercolor paper, and for the past 15 years she has been making three dimensional works.  Although art is a journey, I’m willing to bet that Jill Nordfors Clark has arrived at her creative destination, with the use of hog gut and other natural casings as a foundation and always a surprising mix of additional materials to convey images to us.  Those materials include stainless steel wire, apple twigs, parachute cord, and tortoise dyed cane, to name a few.  

Next stop: The Artist Gallery - to see more of Jill Nordfors Clark’s work, share the  images of seasons, animals, scenes (and more), and be amazed at her materials choices and how she utilizes them!

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